Device fob measuring the volume of



Fb.'12, 1935i ,1. BRANDL DEVICE FOR IEASURING THE VOLUME 0F FL-OWING GAS Filed Jan. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 12, 1935. .LBRANDL 1,990,633

DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE VOLUME 0F FLOWING GAS Filed Jan. 5. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 12, 1935 DEVICE FOB MEASURING THE VOLUME F FLOWING GAS Johann Brandl, Vienna, Austria, assignor to the rm Compagnie pour la Fabrication des Compteurs et Materiel dUsines Gaz, Montrouge (Seine), France Application January 5,

1933, Serial No. 650,226

In Austria January 16, 1932 SClalms.

This invention relates to an improved device for measuring the volume ot ilowing gases. Devices are already known for this purpose in which the pressure, the density, and the temperature l of the gas effect a correction ot the reading of the counting mechanism, so that the latter indicates for direct reading the volume of gas reduced to normal. 'Ihe device according to the present invention is far simpler than the known l0 types, but at the same time ensures a high degree of accuracy. The novelty of this device consists in the fact that the mechanism actuating the counter is driven by a motor adapted to run at constant speed, and includes a member which can be moved by regulating means adapted to respond both to the action of the gas measuring device and to that of the instruments which register the state of the gas as regards pressure, density, and temperature. By this movement of the said member the transmission ratio between the motor and the counting mechanism may be varied between a maximum value and zero. The gas measuring device itself may be any one ot various types, for instance o! the well-known type which works on the ilow principle, in which the dierence of pressure between the two sides of a constriction in the gas supply line is caused to move a member. According to the present invention this member in its turn acts upon the regulating 80 .means governing the mechanism which transmits the drive from the motor to the counter. a A constructional example of a gas measuring device according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the essential parts and the lay-'out of the device.

Fig. 2 shows the measuring mechanism proper in side elevation.

- Referring to the drawings, there is interposed 40 lin the gas supply pipe a throttle plate 2 the aperture 3 of which is of smaller cross-sectional area than the bore oi the .pipe 1, so that a considerable diil'erence of pressure occurs as between the gas on one side of this plate and that on the other side of the same. From the space in front of the plate 2 and from the space behind the plate 2.

there are branched oi! by-pass pipes 4 and A5, respectively, and these pipes are taken to a ring balance 6, and issue one on each side oi' the par- 50 tition 8 in the ring of the latter which is partly nlled with mercury and provided with a counterweight 7. According. tothe magnitude of the pressure diiierence between the two sides of the (Cl. 'i3-167) l Y nected, by'means of a link 9, to a lever 10 the end l1 of which is pivoted to the slide 14 guided in the bearings 12 and 13.

The lever l0 is pivotally connected at a second point to a link 15 which is pivoted to a second ring balance 16 adapted to be iniluenced by a gas density meter 17. This density meter consists, in the constructional example shown in the drawings, of a U-shaped tube 18 having its ilexed portion uppermost and the ends of its two limbs extending into the interior of the pipe 1. The ends of these two limbs are bent outwards, and that in such a manner that the oriiice of'the one bent end faces up-stream, while the oriilce of the other bent end faces down-stream. To the crest of the said U-tube 18 there is connected a vessel 19 from which there proceeds a downwardly directed tube 20 which is upwardly returned at its lower end, and from which a tube 2l extends to the ring balance 16 and issues on one side of the partition 22, while on the other side of this partition there issues a tube 23 which is branched from the tube 18. The lower U- shaped portion of the tube 20 is lled with mercury 24, and the longupwardly extending portion of the same; up to and into the enlarged portion or vessel 19, is illled with a speciilcally lighter liquid. From the gas owing through the pipe 1 a certain quantity ilows upwards through the inverted U-tube 18 and then back into the pipe l, and that at a very slight rate oiilow. Since the rate ofow of the gas through the U- tube 18 is so low as to be in practice negligible, the pressure difference as between the tubes 23 and 21 corresponds approximately to the weight of the column ot gas in the right-hand limb of the U-tube 18, and it will be clear that in this manner very accurate measurement of the density (speciilc gravity) of the gas can be eil'ected. I'he ring balance 16 will assume different positions of angular adjustment according to the density of the gas at any one time, and-the movement of this ring balance 16 iniluences the lever 10 through the link 15.

The lever has no fixed pivot or iulcrum; either one oi the points 11, 25, and 26 is capable -of becoming the pivot or fulcrum of this lever at any one time. It will be clear that the different positions of the ring balances 6 and 16 will result in dierent positions oi' the slide 14. Adjoining this slide 14 by means of a suitable connection which is a pivotal one in Fig, 2 there is provided a rod 27 to which there is pivoted at 28 the arm 29 the en d 30 of which is pivotally connected 0n the One hand to the thrust rod 31, and on the other hand to the link 32. This link 32 is pivotally connected, in its turn, with its end 33 to the free end of a link 34 which is adapted to oscillate about the xed axis 35. Links 31 and 34, in general, are o! diii'erent length. but in special cases they may happen to be of the same length.

The link 34 is pivoted at 36 to the connecting rod 37 of a crank arm 38 which is driven by an electromotor 39 adapted to run at constant speed.`

Through the agency of the connecting rod 37 the crank arm 38, on being rotated, causes theV two and 42, in general, are of diilerent length,- but in special cases they may happen to beof the same length. The arm 44 is pivoted on the axle .45, and

carries a clamping cheek 46 which is adapted to come into Irictional engagement with the periph-A eral surface o! the disc 47 at every movementoi' the arm 44 towards the lett, whereas during the movement 'of the Varm 44 towards the right this clampingcheek 46 slides idly round the disc 47. The disc 47 is thus intermittently rotated by the reciprocating movement of the arm 44.l 'I'he clamping cheek 48 serves for the retention of the disc during the return movement of the arm 44.,V

In the modiiication'shown in Fig. 2 the clamping cheek 46 of Fig. 2 is constructed in a manner" well-known in the art as a clamping clutch which couples the disc 47 loosely mounted on the axle 45, with this axle only when the arm 44 is rocked counter-clockwise. l

Rigidiy-connected to the disc 47 there is a bevel Avvhee149 which engages a bevel gear wheel 50 keyed to the shaft'l of the counting mechanism -angle increases up to a maximum determined byv vcui 52, so that the counter 52 is thus driven by the arm 44. The movements'otthis arm' 44 are set up, however, by the thrust rod'31 which in its turn is reciprocated by the rocking movement 'oi the link 32 pivoted to the arm 34 and pivoted to 29. The link 32 is of the same length as the arm `34, so that when the rod 27 is moved downwards the link 32 can be likewise drawndown-by the arm 29 until nally thepivot 30 coincides with the .iixed pivot 35.

nought. When the rod 27 is moved upwards this the construction of. the device. It will be clear that the thrust rod 31 participates in theseltilting movements of the link 32. If-'the angle between the arm 34 and the link 32 be equal toA nought, Y that is to say if the points 30 and 35 be coincident,

the crank drive.38, 37 actingupon the link 32 only has the eiect of rocking the ,two coinciding rods 32 and 34 about the point 35. The point 30 then'remains stationary, and the parallelogram of links 42, 43, and 44 thereforeremains at rest. The deflections oi' this parallelogram, and therefore also of the arm 44 commence, however, as

soon as the link 32 begins to be lifted clear of the arm 34, and the movement or -throw of the arm `44 becomes greater the greater the angle between 32 and 34 becomes. The increasing or diminishing of this'angle is effected by the movement of the rod v27, and accordingwto the setting of this rod the movementot the motor 391s In this event the angle be-z tweenthelink32andthearm34isequalto' to the colmter 52 to an extent which varies from zerotoacertainmaximumvalue. The rod 27 thus acts as a governing member for the mechanism which transmits the movement ofthe motor lto the counter, and this governing member is infiiuenced, as already mentioned, by the .lever -10 which in its turn is actuated in response to the registering movements of the ow measuring device 6 and of the density measuring device 16. When there is no iiow of gas in the pipe 1 the ring balance 6 is so set that the slide 14, andv with it the rod 27, is drawn down to such an extent that the angle between 32 and 34 is'equal to nought. The counting mechanism then ceases to be driven, although the motor 39 continues to run at unaltered speed. 'As the flow of 'gas in the pipe 1 increases the rods 14 and 27 are lifted,

and, if the ratios of movement and transmission be clrctly determined, the counter registers the correct volume oigas. v

It the density of the gas iiuctuates, the -degree of iniluence exerted by the ring balance 6 upon the rods 14 and 27 is modified bythe ring balance 16, and that in such a manner (if the proportions and ratios be correctly determined) that the correct volume of gas, reduced to normal density, can

be read oil the counter.

A preconditionfor the correct functioning of the entire device is that the motor 39 shall run at constant speed, and, in order to achieve this,

governing means 53 can be-interpcs'ed between `the motor 39 and the c rank 38.'

It will be imderstood that the kind and number of devices responsive to physical conditions of the gas and connected to thelever 10 are, not limited to the special and preferred means shown in Fig.

1, However, it is not necessary to describe Iur. ther examples, since the constructional features n of such devices 'are well-known in tliev art and do not constitute an essential part of the present invention. 'Ihe same applies to the mechanism for the transmission of movement from the motor to the counter, .as this mechanism may be conon ratio voi.' movement can be inuenced by a governing member so as to be variable from zero to a desired maximum value.

-structed on various lines, provided only that the The form of construction shown in Fig. 2` corin principle to the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. The-gas Supply pipe 1 with the throttle plate 2, the parts 17.to 20 of the density meter, and the motor 39 are merely not shown. Since in both figures of the drawingslike reference characters are used for like parts, the construc- -tion shown in Fig. 2 will be clear-without further explanation. It is only necessary to point out that 54 and 55 denote two brake blocks-adapted -to act upon the rod. 27, the end 28 ot which is connected to a two-armed lever 60 mounted upon the axle 61 and a counterweight 62 i which bmances the mass effect of the oscillating vparts of the mechanism. 'I'he block 54 isv sta-v tionary, while the block 55 is attached izo-'andl l moveswith the slide 56. This slide 58A is under the action of a spring 57 whichtends to press the block 55 against the rod 27. The link, 34 is provided with a cam 58 which engages a stop 59von the slide- 56. when the crank 38 is at vtop dead center, and retracts the brake block 55 from Vthe rod 27. 'Therod 27 is thus almost always held tast by the' action of the brake blocks `54 and 55; only at'a dead center position of the.

crank 38 is the rod 27 liberated and capable ot being readiusted lby the lever 10 with a view to the ultimate influencing of the counting mechanism. At all other positions of the crank 38 the rod 27 is held fast, and there can thus be'no reactive or recoil effect of the movement of the crank 38 and of the system of rods connected thereto upon the elements 6 and 16 of the device.

, The pivot point 28 is thus stationary during the greater part of the movement of the entire mechy anism, and is only liberated for movement at a -ing and coun dead center position at which no reactive or recoil eilect of the link mechanism upon the parts 6 and 16 can take place. It will be easily understood that the relative `position of pivotl 28 to link 31 does not aiect the principles on which the device is constructed and that accordingly this pivot 28 while I have shown it in Fig. 1 to be below link 31, may as well be arranged above this link 31 as illustrated by way of example in F18. 2.

I claim:

l. An apparatus for metering the volume o! gas iiowing through a conduit, comprising a plurality of devices connected to saidv conduit and responsive to physical conditions of the gas, a movable member, means whereby said member is subjected to the combined iniluence of said devices so as to eect a control movement which at any time and solely depends on the variations of volume of the gasfa driving mechanism constructed and arranged to run at a constant speed -throughout the 'operation of the apparatus, a counting mechanism, a rocking lever-and-link system inter-connecting both mechanisms and adapted to pass the driving movement on to the counting mechanism at a transmission ratio which is variable from zero to a maximum value.

v and governing means inserted between the said member and an active point of the said leverand-link system and adapted to act upon the latter under the inuence of the said control movement of the member and to eect thereby variations oi the L on ratio between the drivmechanism, which correspond tothevariationsinvolumeottheowinggas.

2.Anspparatustormeterlngthsvolumeot gasilowingthroughaoonduit,comprisinga pluraiity of Adevices responsive to Phyitl conditions of the gas and adapted to be connected to said conduit, a movable member, means whereby said member is subjected to the combined iniiuence of said devices so as to carry out control movements which at any time and solely correspond to the variations in volume o! the gas to be measured, a counting mechanism. a driving mechanism constructed and arranged to run at a constant speed throughout the operation o! the apparatus, a rocking lever-and-link system interconnecting both mechanisms so as to pass the driving movement on to the counting mechanism at a'transmission ratio which is variable from zero to a maximuml value, said system including a iixed iulcrum, a lever arranged to rock about said fulcrum, a driving connection between said driving mechanism and said lever for imparting a rocking movement to the latter, a second lever pivotally connected to the free end of the first mentioned lever `so as to permit both levers to form at their Joint an angle which is variable from zero to a maximum value, and a link system connecting said counting mechanism to the said second lever at a point thereof which has the same distance from the joint between both levers as the said fulcrum, said second lever having a control connection with the said movable member whereby the control movement o! the latter is transmitted to thel said second lever to etlect angulardisplacementsthereotinrelationtothe first-mentioned lever and which to 'thevariationsinvolumeofthciiowinggas.

3. Anapparatusasclaimed in-claim 1 wherein one of the said devices responsive to' physical conditions of the gas is a now-metering device o! the oriilce-type, while the other device is a gasdensity meter, and the-said movable member is soconnectedtobothdevioastoeiiminatethe iniiuenc'e o! gas density variations upon the control movement which controls the' action oi the said governing means.

JOHANN'BRAIIDL. 

